Robert brooke dashiell



( Modem R B DASHIELL.

CARTRIDGE CASE EXTRAGTOR.

No. 494,917. Patented Apr. '4, 1893.

NITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

ROBERT BROOKE DASHIELL, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

CARTRIDGE-CASE EXTRACTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 494,917, dated April 4, 1893.

Application filed October 31 1892. Serial No. 450,541. (No model.) Patented in England February 9,1892, No. 2,532; in France February 9, 1892,1To. 219,271, and in Italy February 9, 1892,1To. 31,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT BROOKE DASH- IELL, ensign United States Navy, a citizen of the United States, commanding the Naval Ordnance Proving Ground, Indian Head, in the county of Charles and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartridge-Case Extractors, (for which I have obtained patents in Great Britam, No. 2,532, dated February 9, 1892; in France, No. 219,271, dated February 9, 1892, and in Italy, No. 31,274, dated February 9, 1892;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to cartridge case extractors for use in breech-loading ordnance.

In rapid fire guns and smaller breech-loading guns generally, a cartridge case is used having a rim on the rear end thereof. When the gun is fired the pressure of the gases is liable to expand the cartridge case and to Wedge it in the gun, rendering it difiicult of removal. For the purpose of withdrawing the cartridge case, extractors of various types are employed, most of which are unsatisfactory in operation, failing in frequent instances to withdraw the empty cartridge case when it has become firmly wedged in the gun. This invention is intended to remedy these defects, and to provide an extractor which is certain to withdraw the empty cartridge case, after each round, no matter how firmly the said case may be wedged in the gun.

This invention is applicable to those classes ofbreechloadingordnanceinwhichthebreechplug is first turned about its axis through a given angle, and is then withdrawn rearward in a direction approximately parallel to the axis of the bore. Thus it is specially adapted for use with breech-loading ordnance of the slotted screw system, and works equally well either with a cylindrical plug which is drawn rearward in-the direction of the axis of the bore, or with a conical plug, which is swung through an are about a pivot at one side of the breech, but which during the first part of Figure 1 represents a horizontal section through the axis of abreech-loading gun and the breech plug, the latter being represented as being swung clear of the gun, and the cartridge case extractor being represented in the position in which it would be after having withdrawn the cartridge case. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of a portion of the breech of the gun and the breech plug as it is about to be closed, the cartridge case extractor being shown as slipping over the rim of the cartridge. Fig. 3 represents a similar view to that shown in Fig. 2, after the breech is closed and the gun ready for firing. In Figs. 2 and 3 the firing pin and attachments are omitted for the sake of clearness in the drawings. Fig. 4 represents a view of the inner face of the extractor, or the face next the axis of the breech plug. Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of the extractor with the spring fitted to the same. Fig. 6 represents a front view of the extractor and spring.

The extractor A carries a curved flange a at its forward end, whose curvature is approximately that of the exterior of the cartridge case, so that its lower surface may fit snugly over the said cartridge case. The rear edge of this circular flange is perpendicular to the elements of the cylinder forming the cartridge case, while its front edge a is made sloping as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, so that it may be readily wedged up over the rim 0 of the cartridge case 0. This hook shaped flange a is on the forward end of a rectangular bar 00 provided near its forward end with alug a and carrying near its center a spring B attached by a screw 1) entering the screw hole a to the back of the said bar. The rear end of the said bar terminates in a downwardly projecting hook or. The breech plug D is perforated as at d to allow for the introduction of the extractor which is pushed in from the front of the breech plug, and is held in place by the inward pressure of the spring B and the hooked ends a and a. Shoulders a are provided on the extractor bar which project beyond the sides of the aperture (Z and prevent the extractorfrom being pushed back too far for reasons to be hereinafter shown. A shoulder may be left on the breech plug, or a separate piece d may be screwed on to the breech plug as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

A recess e is out in the interior of the gun just in front of the rim of the cartridge to allow the head of the extractor to enter freely, and is continued far enough around to allow the extractor to be turned with the breech plug through the desired angle for unlocking the slotted screw-threads.

The operation of the device is as follows:- The breech being open, and the breech plug and extractor being in the positions shown in Fig. 1, the gun is loaded, and the breech plug is then swung round briskly into the breech of the gun. The sloping face a of the extractor on striking the rim of the cartridge, forces the extractor bar backward until its shoulder or lug a passes to the rear of the shoulder d. Then the face a is forced upward by the inclined surfaces so that the further forward movement of the plug and the action of the spring finally cause it to snap over the head of the cartridge. Should the hook a fail to slip easily over the rim of the cartridge, as soon as the shoulders a" strike the face of the plug, the whole inertia of the moving plug is brought into play on the wedge face a, and the hook to snaps over the head of the cartridge. The plug and extractor being in the position shown in Fig. 3, the gun is fired, and the gun-servant begins to open the breech. The first motion is mainly a turning of the plug about its axis, in which the head of the extractor follows through the small are around the cylindrical surface of the cartridge case, and slips forward relatively to the plug the same distance that the plug is moved back in unlocking. The second motion of the plug is a comparatively rapid motion in or very nearly in the line of the axis of the bore. During the first part of this motion the extractor is held by the cartridge case and slips back as the plug is drawn forward, drawing the projection a beneath the lug d, and then the hook at brings up with a jerk against the rear face (Z of the now rapidly moving breech plug. The plug then acts as a hammer giving all its inertia to jerking the cartridge case clear of its seat in the powder chamber, and dragging it out into such a position that it either falls upon the ground or may be readily removed by hand.

It will be evident that, other things being equal, the heavier the gun the heavier would be the breech plug, and the parts moving therewith, which together lend their inertia to starting the cartridge case from its seat in the powder chamber, and at the same time the more diiiicult would it be to move the cartridge case. Thus it will be seen that the herein-described extractor is specially adapted to the various sizes of gun using fixed ammunition. It will also be evident that the herein described extractor will withdraw a dummy cartridge, or an unfired round of ammunition with equal ease and safety as with an empty cartridge case.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a breech-loading gun in which the breech plug is withdrawn rearward, the combination with a breech plug having a slot therein and a shoulder or projection attached to or integral with the said breech plug at the forward end of said slot, of a bar passing through said slot and having a limited longitudinal motion therein, the said bar being provided at its forward end with a curved hook adapted to engage the rim of the cartridge, at its rear end with a hook adapted to engage in the breech plug, and on its back a projection adapted to be drawn beneath said projection on the breech plug, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a breech-loading gun in which the breech plug is withdrawn rearward, the combination with a breech plug having a slot therein and a shoulder or projection attached to or integral with the said breech plug at the forward end of said slot, of a bar passing through said slot and having a limited longitudinal motion therein, the said bar being provided at its forward end with a curved hook adapted to engage the rim of the cartridge, at its rear end with a hook adapted to engage in the breech plug, and on its back a projection adapted to be drawn beneath said projection on the breech plug, and a spring engaging in said slot and adapted to press said bar toward the axis of the breech plug, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a breech-loading gun in which the breech plug is withdrawn rearward, the combination with a breech plug having a slot therein and a shoulder or projection attached to or integral with the said breech plug at the forward end of said slot, of a bar passing through said slot and having a limited longitudinal motion therein, the said bar being provided at its forward end with a curved hook having an inclined face adapted to slip over and snap behind the rim of the cartridge, the said bar being also provided at its rear end with a hook adapted to engage in the breech plug, and on its back a projection adapted to be drawn beneath said projection in the breech plug; anda spring engaging in said slot and adapted to press said bar toward the axis of said breech plug, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a breech loading gun of the character IIO described, the combination with the breech In testimony whereof I affix my signature in plug D slotted at d and having the projection presence of two witnesses. d, of the extractor A comprising the curved hook a sloping at 0t, and provided with shoul- ROBERT BROOKE DASHIELL. 5 ders (t the bar 05* provided with projection a and the hook a, and spring B secured to Witnesses: the back of said bar, substantially as and for JOHN 0. WILSON, the purposes described. PERCY O. BOWEN. 

